Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy just published an article I wrote entitled Filling the Void in the Virtual Consultation Room. I describe in a rather existential and experiential way, my experience of conducting psychotherapy via chat. With no visual or auditory cues, the experience of psychotherapy online is different. Not less valid, but… [Read More]
Interesting article on Aspergers and SL
I think this is fascinating, although there seems to be some controversy around it. However, this is about socialisation for Asperger’s patients – rather than psychotherapy. So the patient learns interactions inworld and then is able to translate them into RL. Well, that’s the hypothesis. BUT the article also notes that people with this condition… [Read More]
Online Support Forums and World AIDS Day
Today is World AIDS Day which has prompted me to write about support forums online. The internet has changed the way some of us approach living with a new diagnosis. Now with the internet we have instant access to information that used to require library access. And the internet goes beyond just allowing access to… [Read More]
Social Networks for Mental Health Therapists
With the proliferation of social networks and most recently, the budding of new niche social networks geared toward specific groups, therapists are finding many places to connect and discuss! The Online Therapy Institute features discussion groups at Linkedin, Links for Shrinks and Facebook. We encourage open discussion of all issues related to technology and mental… [Read More]
Second Life affair leads to divorce (in world and in RL!)
Well – *this* is *such* a confusing story I had to read it several times to work out what was going on… Fact and Fiction collide now a British couple are divorcing after the husbands inworld affair over in Second Life. They met in a chatroom, then she moved to Cornwall to be with him. … [Read More]
Emotional Avatars to support empathetic dialogue
I’ve just been made aware of a project going on in Dundee by someone at the University of Abertay, it’s launching today and I’m a bit gutted I can’t make it with such short notice. However, it’s all about “developing emotionally engaging procedural character animations. The research will be underpinned by a comparative study of… [Read More]
Second Life lessons: Keeping your feet on the floor
Interesting article in The Guardian’s education supplement this week on SL – a conference was set up called Education Without Boundaries. The journalist states that the informal networking sessions were the most useful part of it – which kinda mirrors RL conferences! Something else that made me smile was the fact that the virtual conference… [Read More]
Email Therapy Exchange: How Long is Too Long?
I am wondering if any of you have a sense of how long an email response should be? If a client emails a long and heartfelt story outlining questions and concerns, how does a therapist determine how long the response should be? Should the therapist match the length of the client’s email in his or… [Read More]
